West Nile Virus

EAST DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The backyard pond is a small oasis for Jim Ferguson and his family. The University Park resident enjoys maintaining it and caring for the 40 goldfish, three frogs, and a turtle inside.

“It’s very relaxing. I can sit on the patio, listen to the sound, watch the fish,” Ferguson said.

But on this night, Ferguson is not sitting and relaxing on the patio. Because of the scheduled aerial spraying, he and his family are placing a large, plastic tarp over the pond to protect it and the fish from pesticides.

“Anybody who cares about their goldfish, or koi or bullfrogs, dragonflies, turtles, will cover their pond to take this protective action against the aerial spraying,” Ferguson said.

We saw the same protection in place at the Dallas Arboretum. Workers covered ponds to protect the fish and even canceled a special evening exhibit of the Chihuly glass sculptures.

Around the area Thursday evening, we found people out and about despite the mosquitoes and threat of West Nile virus, from football practice to a leisure walk. Tracy Helms was out with her three year old son and dog.

“We loaded up with bug spray before leaving the house. I think the spraying is great. It’s the West Nile I’m worried about,” Helms said.

If you live in an aerial spray zone, you should follow some precautions:

Avoid going outside while crews are spraying.

Bring pets inside.

Use soap and water on your skin and clothes if you are exposed to the spraying.

Rinse fruits and vegetables in your garden.

The chemical being used, called Duet, is designed to break down in the sunlight and water. If you have a pool, it’s safe to swim.